A/N

Me: Hello there readers old and new! Welcome to Soul Eater: Next Generation. The epic adventure with the not-so-epic title! Now, as some people may know, this is actually a rewrite of the original story I started back in April of 2012. I decided to do this rewrite because 1) The series finished and screwed with some of my ideas, and since I'm a canon freak I chose to fix some things to match the canon plot. And 2) I looked back at the story and thought. "Bitch, I could do WAY better." So I did.

Onilee: Yeah, sorry to rain on your parade. But I think it actually got shittier.

Me: So did your attempts to make me feel bad. So anyway, few notes before we begin!

Pairings: SoulxMaka. Black*StarxTsubaki. MariexStein. And future KidxLiz.

Rating: It is Rated T for language, minor gore, and sexual references.

Constructive criticism is encouraged! But, please try to be civil. Flames will not be tolerated. Also, take into account that this chapter can't be flawless. My Grammar-Nazi Editor and I do make mistakes and we do try to correct as many as we can. Point 'em out if you see them, I will fix them!

IMPORTANT NOTE: My main character's name is not "Mine" as in the possessive pronoun. Give me some credit, I am not so stupid as to name my character after a goddamned pronoun. It is Mine as in MEENAY, aka: Me, myself, and I plus horse noise. I got a lot of problems with this the first time around, but that name is staying come hell or high water. It is a real Japanese name, promise.

Onilee: Now c'mon guys! What are you waiting for! Rip this piece of crap to shreds! CRUSH HER DREAMS!

Me: Onilee, do NOT make me duck tape you to a Wildebeest again! Anyway, to old readers, I hope you find this new version to be as stimulating as you found it the first time around. And to new readers, I hope this entertains you and leaves you hoping for more! ENJOY~!

The Balanced Scythe Meister and Her Demon Scythe

The night in Death City was cool and crisp. The winds whistled through the treetops, bringing with it the sweet scent of midnight in the once-golden desert. This particular evening, however, was anything but calm.

Loud, animalistic shrieks tore through the night air, along with the clangs of metal against tooth and claw. The shouts of both meister and weapon had been all but drowned in the sounds of their battle against the bizarre creature. It was lean, and covered from head to toe with thick, coarse brown hair. Sharp, metallic claws adorned its thin, twig-like fingers, covered with the crimson blood of its latest kill. On its back was a pair of smooth, bat-like wings, and its mouth was full of pointed teeth the color of cold chrome.

The slender, platinum-blonde meister and her black-and-blue-bladed scythe refused to be shaken by this beast's grotesque look and continued with their barrage of attacks.

The young girl was growing frustrated that her opponent had not yet fallen. Over the wrathful cries of the enemy, she shouted at the weapon grasped tightly in her bandaged fists, "I don't think this slash-and-hack plan of action is working so well, Ryu!"

Of its own will, the scythe twisted in her palms to look at her, and a deep male voice responded, "That's the only plan we got at the moment, Mine! It's not like we trained for anything else!"

Mine huffed angrily at her partner before blocking the bat-beast's claws with Ryu's staff. She had to think: This creature was not going to go down easily and Ryu wasn't exactly an idea man. Then it hit her, the demon's feet! She could very clearly hear the small, retractable claws scraping against the street. It must've been the reason the thing could always keep itself upright after every attack. If she could only manage to make the demon lose its careful footing, then she might actually have a shot.

She closed her eyes, focusing on the push and pull of her soul's wavelength and the wavelength her partner supplied her with. Her ears strained for every small sound around them, from the grunts and growl's of the over-sized mammal to her own labored breathing. She stood still and statue-like, waiting for her target to come to her. The bat-beast noticed how still its prey had become and took the opportunity to lunge forward. Its entire body leapt clean off the ground, throwing all its weight into the next attack. Mine saw her opening. She spun to the side just before metallic talons sliced through her and slashed cleanly through its stomach with her scythe blade.

It all happened too quickly for the monster to even squeal in pain. The hairy body burst into a cloud of wispy black smoke, dissipating to reveal a mottled red soul.

"Oh my God!" Ryu shouted in disbelief. The scythe glowed bright blue before transmogrifying into an angular teen. He rolled up his sleeves before picking up the soul to examine it. His shining green eyes drank in the sight. "I've only seen these things in textbooks! I can't believe I actually have one now!" He beamed, shoving the soul into the black leather bag, slung across his shoulder. He turned to his meister, running his fingers absentmindedly though his styled coal-colored hair. "Thanks, Mine! I really owe you one."

Mine wasn't paying attention. Instead she was kneeling on the ground, frantically running her hands across the uniform sea of pavement, cursing under her breath.

"Uh...hello, I'm trying to thank you over here!" Ryu snapped.

Mine lifted her head, brushing back her matted platinum blonde bangs to reveal her clouded-over eyes. "Sorry, sorry. I just can't seem to find my White cane. I must've dropped it during the fight. A little help?"

Ryu suddenly felt sorry for snapping at her. "I got it!" He chimed, scouring the ground for the aluminum stick. His eyes fell on it lying a few feet away against a low wall. He picked it up and handed it to his meister. "Here we go!"

Mine turned in the direction of Ryu's voice, feeling blindly for his outstretched hand before closing her fingers around her prize. She rose to her feet and ran her fingers across the cool stick. "Good, it didn't get bent." She put her hand through the leather strap at the end and tapped it a few times on the ground. "Ugh...it feels so weird."

"I thought you said it wasn't bent," Ryu pointed out.

"No, no. The stick is fine," Mine affirmed. "I mean...it feels so foreign going back to complete darkness after seeing everything so clearly. It was amazing. I could see ever single hair on that Kishin-egg's body with the help of your wavelength, every flick of the wrist or drip of sweat. It was all...crystal clear." She smiled sadly.

Ryu took her hand and squeezed it. "Oh, please…quit being melodramatic! You can still see my soul right?"

"Well…yeah. But soul perception isn't a substitute for a pair of working eyes."

"It's better than nothing though!" Ryu assured before noticing that Mine's hands has suddenly become damp. He looked down to see that blood had oozed through her bandaged palms.

Mine seemed to notice too and pulled her hand from Ryu's grasp, clenching her fist. "God dammit...I thought they were finally healing!" she growled.

"Never fear! Your fantastic partner is here!" Ryu announced before digging around in his bag.

"You're such a dork," Mine teased.

"Hey! You might not want to say that to the guy who brought some clean bandages!" Ryu stated, procuring a clean, white roll of bandages from his bag.

"I still stand by my previous statement." Mine smirked.

Ryu rolled his eyes and lead Mine over to the low wall before beginning to unravel the old gauze from her hands. Ryu frowned as he saw how soiled they had become since the last time he and Mine had seen each other. Dirt had wedged its way under nearly every layer of wrapping and old, dark stains could be seen though the new blood that was soaking through. He took notice that her clothes weren't in a much better state. Her simple creme dress was torn at the hem and covered with the blotches of an array of strange fluids. Her shoes had been worn down, the fabric clinging to her feet, desperately trying to hold itself together.

Ryu cringed slightly at the sight of Mine's hand. It was covered in blistering sores and old scars in various stages of healing. Mine had reopened an injury that had just begun the recovery process and it was not only oozing blood, but pus as well.

"Should've brought some disinfectant," he mumbled before wrapping the fresh bandage meticulously around her hand.

"Why didn't you?"

"Not enough room in the bag. I just barely fit that soul in there."

"Lemme take a wild guess," Mine began. "You chose your eyelash curler and mascara over basic medical supplies."

"Hey! Those are necessary for survival!" Ryu argued. "Do you have any idea how many times that little tube of mascara has saved my beautiful face?"

"Same with the eyeliner, right?" Mine chortled.

"GUYLINER!"

"Oh, please! It's the same thing! Just because the cooperation slapped a different label on it doesn't make it any more special."

"On the contrary, my naive little friend. It makes it socially acceptable for me to wear!" Ryu beamed just as he tied off the last of the bandage. "There we go…you're all set."

"Thanks a ton, you metro freak," Mine taunted playfully.

Ryu glowered and returned, "Any time, Helen Keller."

"Oh, nice one. I'm blind, not blind and deaf, moron." Mine rolled her eyes.

Before Ryu could respond, she asked, "So, you told me last week that you were getting another trial meister at school, how did that go?"

Ryu's gave an involuntary twitch of displeasure at the memory. "Oh, just swimmingly. She fainted in the middle of the mission and I had to drag her out before our target killed us. I repeatedly told her that the mission was too advanced for us, but she didn't listen! 'Oh, c'mon Ryu! Where's your sense of adventure?' Uh, I think my sense of self-preservation killed it!"

"Ouch...that sounds rough."

"This would all be so much easier if you just-."

"No, Ryu!" Mine knew where this was going. "We already talked about this. You know I can't go to the DWMA."

"C'mon, Mine! You just took down some freaky bat monster with hardly any proper training! You're already out of your house. We could go to the DWMA right now!"

"I...I can't, Ryu," Mine returned sadly.

"Why not?!" Ryu shouted in frustration.

"BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SHE'D DO TO ME! You have no idea what that woman is like...she'll hunt me down till the ends of the earth and kill me if I even try to pull a stunt like that! I'm already at risk just by sneaking out every week to see you! I can never leave her! Ever!"

Mine quickly rubbed her eyes, which were starting to form tears, as Ryu put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "...I'm sorry. I won't bring it up again."

Mine placed her hand over his. "...No, I'm sorry I can't be your full time meister. Believe me…I want to." The two were silent for a while, sitting quietly on the wall listening to the sounds of the night and enjoying the gentle breeze on their faces. It felt like hours before Mine stood. "...I've been gone awhile. She'll notice I left if I don't go home now."

"Let me walk you home." Ryu looped his arm around his meister's and lead her down the winding streets and alleys of Death City. They finally reached the very outskirts, bordering the vast desert, and stopped in front of a small, apparently ordinary house. The exterior reflected little of the hellish nightmare it contained for Mine.

Ryu took Mine to the window well that lead to her basement bedroom. "...Are you sure there's nothing I can do to talk you out of this?" Ryu asked as Mine jumped into the well.

"Nope." Mine smiled sadly. "But I'll see you next week, right?"

"Same time, same place...bye..." Ryu waved weakly and disappeared into the dark alleys again. He knew he could do nothing to help his meister, and it ate him up inside.

Mine followed his soul until he was too far away for her to sense anymore before opening the window and climbing into her bed, closing her eyes in mock sleep. She said a silent prayer that she would be left alone tonight. Her body was too exhausted from her fight to take anymore pain.

Her plea to the dark heavens was left unanswered as the she heard a key unlock her door. She opened her eyes, exhaustion apparent on her features. A tall woman enter the room. Her dark brown hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and her icy blue eyes seemed to pierce past one's skin and stare into the depths of one's being. Her long fingernails were painted blood-red and looked like claws themselves, and an elaborately designed black dress adorned her.

"Mine..." She hissed acidly. Her voice sounded inhuman.

"Yes...M-mom?" she stuttered, trying not to sound as afraid as she was.

"Come with me, sweetheart. There's a new formula I want you to test for me." She smiled, a sickly sweet tone oozing from her lips.

Mine cringed. Tsubasa's tests never meant anything good. They usually meant strange fluids being forced into her body one way or another and much more pain than Mine thought she could bare at the moment.

Tsubasa tapped her foot impatiently and forced a smile. "Hurry up, my sweet."

Mine, sensing the danger in Tsubasa's tone, rose to her feet and followed her through the halls of the extensive basement. The pathways were engraved so deeply in her mind that she didn't need her White cane. Her head hung low, and she dreaded whatever fate awaited her around the corner.

They went down another flight of stairs, deeper into the earth where the lab was. The large room was dominated by test tubes of strange potions and books filled with notes on their previous experiments. It was extremely cluttered, without her White cane to guide her, Mine tripped multiple times on the notebooks and lab apparatus that lay upon the floor.

"Sit on the table, dearest." Tsubasa stated, tapping on the medical table wedged into the corner of the room. Mine sat obediently. She began to shake, her mind frantically wondering what on earth Tsubasa was doing. She heard the bubbling of her concoctions, the clinking sound of glass beakers and soon the sound of her mother's footsteps coming towards her.

"Give me your arm." Tsubasa cooed. Mine froze, she knew exactly what that phrase meant. A syringe.

Mine shook her head, wrapping her arms tightly around her body. The familiar, cold feeling of dread washed over her like a tidal wave. She began to sweat profusely and tears pricked the corners of her eyes. To say she hated needles was an understatement. She was downright terrified of them, and in this moment she found herself more afraid of the syringe than the person holding it.

Tsubasa repeated. "I said...Give. Me. Your. Arm." Mine frantically shook her head. She knew it would've been safer stabbing a cobra than refusing to listen to Tsubasa. Yet, the very thought of a slim, needle snaking its way past her skin and muscles and poking through her blood vessels made her feel dizzy and nauseous.

What was left of Tsubasa's sweet, motherly facade faded in an instant. "HAVE IT YOUR WAY THEN!" She harshly grabbed Mine's right arm and plunged the needle inside.

The young girl shrieked, she felt as though molten lead had replaced the blood in her veins. Her muscles burned with an almost unbearable fiery intensity. She could feel herself about to pass out. She desperately tried to pull her arm away, but Tsubasa refused to budge.

"S-Stop!" Mine wailed brokenly. "Please s-stop!"

Tsubasa emptied the syringe and yanked it out. She examined Mine's eyes, which were still clouded and milky. "Dammit...nothing!" Tsubasa growled harshly. She threw the needle to the ground and began rummaging through her shelves. Mine breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm herself. Soon she heard Tsubasa return, and felt her press something into her hand. Mine rubbed her fingers up and down the instrument until she realized it was a scalpel.

Tsubasa's kindly tone had returned. "Sweetie, give Mommy some of that precious blood you have. It'll help me out a lot."

Mine gulped as she held the scalpel to her left arm. She knew if she didn't cut,

Tsubasa would, and she would be neither gentle nor careful. She begged whatever deity that heard her to let her bleed the color Tsubasa wanted. Just once, she wanted to give her black blood on the first try.

Mine grit her teeth as she made the incision, and darkness poured from her forearm. Tsubasa produced a vial and filled it with the strange blood. A sigh of relief tumbled from Mine's lips as she realized she had done it. When the small container was full, Tsubasa gave Mine a rag stained with red and black blood from her previous incisions and patted her head. "Good girl." She smiled, bumping her lips against Mine's forehead, an act that was intended to be a kiss.

Mine pushed the rag against her cut, mentally thanking whatever power had let her bleed sable droplets. Last time her blood had come out red, Tsubasa had gone on a rampage and slashed every inch of skin she could find until she got her desired result.

"That's all I need for tonight," Tsubasa said, putting the vial in her pocket. "You may leave now."

Mine nodded demurely and rose to her feet, slowly walking out the lab. She pressed her body up against the walls for support as she trudged back to her bedroom. She felt like her world was spinning and she could hardly stand up straight. She thought back to her first battle earlier this evening, back when she had the strength and courage to hold her head high and proud and fight for something and actually win. She remembered how she didn't feel the need to flinch whenever bat-beast came at her. She had confidence, something that felt so alien and unreal to her now.

Where did that girl go? Mine wondered as she finally reached her bed. She crawled under the thin covers and wrapped them tightly around her body.

To be continued...

Next Chapter: The Shadow Assassin and Her Pensive Kunai! Coming soon!

A/N

Me: Another quick note: a White cane IS the legit name for that cane the blind use! I am not describing the color of it! And on that note new readers: Yes. Mine is blind. And to the old readers: Yes. Mine is really blind this time.

Onilee: Yeah, she made it pretty damn obvious the first time around! *whispers* Her own editor actually forgot Mine was blind, that's how much our little author screwed it up.

Me: SHUT YOUR TRAP ONILEE! *laughs nervously* Yeah...that was an awkward editing conversation...ANYWAY, I hope you can't wait for the next chapter to come out! Though you may have to wait a bit. My next few weeks are kinda all over the place schedule-wise. Hopefully I'll have it up by mid-October. (Like on my birthday!)

Onilee: But, if you know anything about Pheonixette. It's that Phoenix is spelled wrong in her name and she never keeps her update promises.

Me: *sobs* I TRY I REALLY DO! I just suffer from MEPS (Mega-Extreme Procrastination Syndrome). *wipes eyes* Well guys...until next time FAVORITE, FOLLOW, AND REVIEW~!